Singapore detected its first Covid-19 case on 23 January 2020. When you read this, the pandemic would be more than one year old. In the intervening months, we have all witnessed the world change in front of our eyes.
Fast forward to the present, and we find ourselves routinely wearing face coverings, keeping distance from one another and avoiding crowded places. We now regularly and habitually sanitize our workplaces and our vehicles, and wash our hands every chance we get. And as much as we liked to, refrain from socializing with co-workers. A significant portion of our employees, who are not needed in our plants and in the field, do not come into the office, but work from their homes. We do all these in order to keep staff and employees from taking ill.
It is absolutely critical that we do everything in our power to keep the Covid-19 virus away from our workplaces. If we do not, this virus will devastate our workforce, and eventually cause us to be unable to operate Singapore’s water system. Without easy and assured access to clean water, fighting the virus would become impossible.
Thankfully, vaccines are now available and being administered at pace. But it is only when most of us have been innoculated and we achieve collective immunity that things may start returning to some measure of pre-pandemic normalcy.
Even as we work to sustain Singapore’s water system, we must regard this pandemic as a turning point, a pivot in time, and a watershed moment. What comes after, post-Covid, shall be very different from what was before. And I believe in a good way too. Therefore, as we protect our staff, safeguard our contracted labour and secure our supply lines, we also look to pivot to a brave new future. Indeed, this pandemic, unanticipated as it is, has led us to accelerate the many changes that we are currently making. For sure, it has spurred us in PUB, and also those in many other businesses, to transform at an even faster clip.
Beyond managing the water cycle—from supplying good water, to reclaiming used water, to the taming of storm water—PUB is also the primary cheerleader for Singapore’s burgeoning water industry. In this regard, our marque event is the biennial Singapore International Water Week. After a two-year disruption, we are working hard to bring back the SIWW, in its full glory, in 2022. Mark your calendars for 17-21 April 2022 for SIWW2022, which we anticipate will be bigger and brighter than ever before.
This latest Singapore Environmental Industry Directory is an important industry resource and indispensable for those looking for advice, supplies, collaboration or new business opportunities. PUB is pleased to partner Marshall Cavendish in bringing out this publication. I am sure that you will find it to be a valuable resource, and a helpful reference for advancing your business.
Mr Ng Joo Hee
Chief Executive
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency